Beam scanning with tunable lasers

Abstract

An optical system includes a tunable laser that generates an optical signal at an output that is wavelength tunable. A wavelength router directs particular wavelength bands of the optical signal to particular ones of the plurality of outputs. An optical emitter emits an optical beam at an output, wherein tuning the tunable laser steers the emitted beam.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical beam scanning system comprising:
 a) a tunable laser that generates an optical signal having a tunable wavelength at an output; 
 b) a wavelength router comprising an optical input that is optically coupled to the output of the tunable laser and a plurality of optical outputs, the wavelength router configured to direct the optical signal to a particular one of the plurality of outputs based on a wavelength band of the optical signal; and 
 c) an optical emitter comprising a plurality of inputs, respective ones of the plurality of optical emitter inputs being optically coupled to respective ones of the plurality of outputs of the wavelength router, the optical emitter projecting at an output an optical beam comprising the optical signal having an angle with respect to a primary optical axis of the optical beam scanning system that is determined by the wavelength of the optical signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein the angle with respect to the primary optical axis of the optical beam scanning system is tunable in two dimensions. 
     
     
       3. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein the wavelength router is configured to further direct the optical signal to a particular one of the plurality of outputs based on any of a set of periodically spaced wavelengths of the optical signal. 
     
     
       4. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein the wavelength router is configured to further direct the optical signal to a particular one of the plurality of outputs based on any of a set of aperiodically spaced wavelengths of the optical signal. 
     
     
       5. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein the optical emitter comprises a two-dimensional optical emitter. 
     
     
       6. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein the optical emitter comprises a grating device. 
     
     
       7. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein the optical emitter comprises a plurality of grating devices each having an input optically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of input ports of the optical emitter. 
     
     
       8. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein the optical emitter comprises a spatially dispersive lens. 
     
     
       9. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein the optical emitter comprises a serial bus having a plurality of wavelength sensitive emitters. 
     
     
       10. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein the optical emitter further comprises a lens. 
     
     
       11. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the optical emitter, the wavelength router, and the tunable laser are formed on a photonic integrated circuit. 
     
     
       12. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  further comprising a receiver optically coupled to the optical emitter. 
     
     
       13. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 1  further comprising a spatial switch having an input optically coupled to the output of the tunable laser and at least two outputs optically coupled to a first and second input of the wavelength router. 
     
     
       14. An optical beam scanning system comprising:
 a) a tunable laser that generates an optical signal having a tunable wavelength at an output; 
 b) an optical emitter comprising an input port optically coupled to a plurality of wavelength sensitive emitters, the plurality of wavelength sensitive emitters projecting at an output an optical beam comprising the optical signal having an angle with respect to a primary optical axis of the optical beam scanning system and steering the beam in 2D that is determined by a wavelength of the optical signal, thereby steering the beam in two dimensions; and 
 c) a wavelength router positioned between the tunable laser and the plurality of wavelength sensitive emitters. 
 
     
     
       15. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 14  wherein the plurality of wavelength sensitive emitters is configured as a serial bus. 
     
     
       16. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 14  wherein at least one of the plurality of wavelength sensitive emitters comprises a wavelength demultiplexer. 
     
     
       17. The optical beam scanning system of  claim 14  wherein at least one of the plurality of wavelength sensitive emitters includes a ring resonator element. 
     
     
       18. An optical beam scanning system comprising:
 a) a tunable laser that generates an optical signal having a tunable wavelength at an output; 
 b) a wavelength router comprising an optical input that is optically coupled to the output of the tunable laser and a plurality of optical outputs, the wavelength router configured to direct the optical signal to a particular one of the plurality of outputs based on a wavelength of the optical signal, and configured to further direct the optical signal to a particular one of the plurality of outputs based on any of a set of aperiodically spaced wavelengths of the optical signal; and 
 c) an optical emitter comprising a plurality of inputs, respective ones of the plurality of optical emitter inputs being optically coupled to respective ones of the plurality of outputs of the wavelength router, the optical emitter projecting at an output an optical beam comprising the optical signal having an angle with respect to a primary optical axis of the optical beam scanning system that is determined by the wavelength of the optical signal. 
 
     
     
       19. An optical beam scanning system comprising:
 a) a tunable laser that generates an optical signal having a tunable wavelength at an output; 
 b) a wavelength router comprising an optical input that is optically coupled to the output of the tunable laser and a plurality of optical outputs, the wavelength router configured to direct the optical signal to a particular one of the plurality of outputs based on a wavelength of the optical signal; and 
 c) an optical emitter comprising a plurality of input ports, respective ones of the plurality input ports of the optical emitter being optically coupled to respective ones of the plurality of outputs of the wavelength router, and comprising a plurality of grating devices each having an input optically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of input ports of the optical emitter, the optical emitter projecting at an output an optical beam comprising the optical signal having an angle with respect to a primary optical axis of the optical beam scanning system that is determined by the wavelength of the optical signal.